Arrest Warrant
Criminal ProcedureLegal information only — not legal advice. B-Legal is not a law firm and use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship. Consult a licensed attorney before acting.
Plain-English Meaning
A court order directing police to arrest a specific person. It is issued when a judge finds probable cause to believe a person committed a crime but that person has not yet been taken into custody.
Legal Context
Under N.Y. CPL § 120.10, an arrest warrant may be issued by a local criminal court upon the filing of an accusatory instrument establishing probable cause. Arrest warrants authorize officers to arrest the named person at any time and in most locations. Warrantless arrests in public are permitted when an officer witnesses a crime or has probable cause; warrants are more commonly required for arrests inside a home.
Real-Life Example
A grand jury indicted a defendant who had left the state before charges were filed. The court issued an arrest warrant. When the defendant returned to New York months later, he was arrested at a traffic stop because his name appeared in the warrant database.
Related Statutes
Source
Based on N.Y. CPL §§ 120.10, 120.80. Original B-Legal plain-language explanation.
N.Y. CPL § 120.10
Definitions are simplified for education. Legal meanings vary by jurisdiction, context, and case facts. This definition is original B-Legal content and is not affiliated with or derived from any proprietary legal dictionary.